Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman is on the brink of etching his name into the annals of African football history, as he vies for the prestigious accolade of the African footballer of the year at the upcoming 2024 CAF awards holding in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday, 16 December 2024.
The talented attacker was in scintillating form during the 2023-24 season, consistently delivering standout performances that captivated fans and pundits alike. His goal tally was impressive, recording 17 goals in all competitions, only behind Gianluca Scamacca who recorded 19 goals. He also had 10 assists, only behind Aleksey Miranchuk (12), and Charles De Ketelaere (11), as well as winning Atalanta’s best player of the season.
Asides his club form, Lookman was pivotal in Nigeria’s AFCON run to the final. He scored three goals in the competition including both goals against Cameroon in the round of 16 and the lone goal against Angola in the quarter-final. He also recorded one assist, was included in the AFCON team of the year while being Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in 2024 with six goals.
More Read
In addition to winning the man of the match award at the Europa league final while leading his team to the Coppa Italia final, the Nigerian forward broke long-standing records including becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a one-legged Men’s European final since Pierino Prati in 1969 and also the first current Atalanta player to be nominated for the Ballon D’or.
Lookman has taken his brilliant form into the 2024-25 season, recording 10 goals and five assists including a recent late header to defeat AC Milan and climb on top of the table.
As the countdown continues, Lookman will be hoping to become only the sixth Nigerian to win the prestigious award following the achievements of Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amunike (1994), Victor Ikpeba (1997), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 & 1999), and most recently, Victor Osimhen (2023).
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
